Gravity actuated spiral track device



April 7, 195s L. E. REED 7 GRAVITY ACTUATED SPIRAL TRACK DEVICE 2 SHEETSSHEET l Filed Nov. 1, 1950 Fig. 66

r30 70 /8 72 /,3 975 M72; T Wm 34 28,2 ,XM

April 7, 1953 L. E. REED GRAVITY ACTUATED SPIRAL TRACK DEVICE Filed Nov. 1, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 In Fig.4

- i INVENTOR.

' g 0 M 6 1 BY an arcuate ball receiving arm 48 that is positioned to register with and receive balls from the lower end of the track I4.

The arm 48 is mounted on the upper end of the trip lever It, as shown in Figure 4, and the lever is pivotally mounted on the shaft IS, the outer end of which is provided with an upwardly extended section 50 and a horizontally disposed section 52, which extends from the upper end of the section 50 and extends through a socket 54 on the trip lever It.

The trip lever 16 with the end sections of the shaft l8 and arcuate arm 48 are resiliently held in the upwardly extended positions as illustrated in Figure 4 by a spring 56, one end of which is attached to the trip lever 15 at the point 58' and the opposite end of which is attached to the section 44 of the plate 34, at the point 65. The parts remain in this position until the inertia of a ball traveling down the track and engaging the arm 48 forces the arm and trip lever in a clockwise direction, from the position shown in Figure 4 and in this movement the ratchet 20 engages a tooth 22 of the rack 24, rotating the spiral track in a clockwise direction from a point looking downward upon the device. The ball, after rolling throughout the length of the arcuate arm 48 is deposited in one of the pockets 2B of the tray l and with the pockets numbered a score is indicated.

The shaft i8 is provided with an eccentric section 52 on which the ratchet 20 is pivotally mounted, as shown in Figure l, and the inner end of the shaft is secured in a lever 64, as illustrated in Figure 2, wherein pivotal motion of the shaft turns the lever in a counter-clockwise direction, from the position shown in Figure 2.

A pair of vertically disposed rods 66 and 68 are pivotally mounted in openings 10 and 12 in the ends of the lever 64 and these rods extend upwardly through the area in the center of the track with the upper ends extended through bosses 14 on the under surface of the track, and through openings 16 and 18 which extend through the bosses and floor of the track so that the rods extend into the track, as shown in Figure 3.

The upper end of the rod 66, this rod being longer than the rod 68, extends into the track, whereas the upper end of the rod 68 is flush with the floor of the track and as the trip is actuated by a ball reaching the lower end of the track the lever 64, turning with the shaft l8, draws the rod 66 downwardly whereby a ball, as indicated by the dotted line 19, is released and a following ball 8!! is retained by the end of the rod 68 which in this movement passes upwardly through the floor of the track. The upper end of the track is provided with a ball retaining chamber 82 and any suitable number of balls may be placed in this chamber when the game is started.

With the parts arranged in this manner the track I4 is carried by the cross bar or plate 34 with an intermediate part of the track supported by the upright 40 and with the lower end of the track supported by a block 84, and with the trip lever and ball receiving arm on the lower end of the track balanced by the counter-weight 42 on the opposite end of the plate the track is free to rotate as the ratchet is actuated with the trip lever 16 and lever 64. The shaft [8 is journaled in the section 44 of the plate 34 and also in a bearing 88 extended downwardly from the plate. A stop 90 is provided on the edge of the section 46 of the plate to limit downward movement of the arm 48.

To start the device balls or marbles 86 are placed in the chamber 82 and the trip lever and lever 64 are actuated by hand to release the first ball. This ball travels down the track and as it rolls into the arm 48, the arm, trip lever, and lever 64 are actuated by the inertia thereof whereby another ball is released, the track is rotated about the base tray and the first ball is deposited in one of the pockets of the tray.

The scores of the different players may be totaled to ascertain the winners of the game.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that an amusement device constructed in accordance with this invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that the invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for'this reason it is not to be understood that the invention is limited to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown, except as claimed.

Having thus fully described the invention what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A game device comprising a tray having a vertically disposed centrally positioned socket extended upwardly therefrom and having an annular rack with teeth therein concentric with said socket, a post rotatably mounted in the socket of the tray, a spiral track carried by the post and adapted to rotate therewith, a trip lever mounted at the lower end of the track and positioned to receive a playing piece from the track, means pivotally mounting the trip lever whereby upon engagement of a playing piece with the trip lever the trip lever is actuated, means operated by the trip lever releasing another playing piece in the upper end of the track as the trip lever is actuated, and a ratchet positioned to coact with the rack for operation by the trip lever for rotating the track as the trip lever is actuated, said tray having an annular row of radially disposed pockets in the upper surface thereof positioned to receive playing pieces from the trip lever for scoring.

2. A game device comprising a tray having a vertically disposed. centrally positioned socket extended upwardly therefrom and having an annular rack with teeth therein concentric with said socket, a post rotatably mounted in the socket of the tray, a spiral track carried by the post and adapted to rotate therewith, a trip lever mounted at the lower end of the track and positioned to receive a playing piece from the track, means pivotally mounting the trip lever whereby upon engagement of a playing piece with the trip lever the trip lever is actuated, means operated by the trip lever for releasing another playing piece in the upper end of the track as the trip lever is actuated, a ratchet positioned to coact with the rack for operation by the trip lever for rotating the track as the trip lever is actuated, and resilient means returning the trip lever, releasing means and track rotating means to their original positions after the trip lever is actuated.

3. In a game, the combination which comprises a tray having a vertically positioned centrally disposed socket extended upwardly therefrom, said tray having an annular rack in the upper surface concentric with the socket and said tray also having pockets in the upper surface, a vertically positioned post rotatably mounted in the socket and extended upwardly from the tray, a spiral track, U-shaped in cross section, carried by the post and'adapted to rotate therewith, a supporting plate mounted on Y the post and providing supporting means for the the eccentric section of the shaft, and. positioned to coact with the annular rack to rotate the track as the trip lever is actuated, and means actuated by the shaft for releasing balls in the upper part of the track.

4. In a game, the combination which comprises a tray having a vertically positioned centrally disposed socket extended upwardly therefrom, said tray having an annular rack in the upper surface concentric with the socket and said tray also having pockets in the upper surface, a vertically positioned post rotatably mounted in the socket and extended upwardly from the tray, a spiral track, U -shaped in cross section, carried by the post and adapted to rotate therewith, a supporting plate mounted on the post and providing supporting means for the lower part of the track, a shaft having an eccentric section therein joumaled on the supporting 6 plate, a trip lever mounted on the shaft and having a ball receiving arm thereon, said ball receiving arm positioned to register with the lower end of the track and post, a ratchet pivotally mounted on the eccentric section of the shaft and positioned to coact with the annular rack to rotate the track as the trip lever is actuated, a horizontally disposed lever mounted on the shaft, vertically positioned rods extended upwardly from ends of the lever and extended through the floor of the track, one of said rods positioned to release a playing piece as the trip lever is actuated and the other of said rods positioned to retain a following playing piece as the said trip lever is actuated. I

LAWRENCE E. REED.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,252,158 Okel Jan. 1, 1918 1,296,129 Siegel Mar. 4, 1919 1,313,660 Zipf Aug. 19, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country A Date 338,468 Germany June 18, 1921 

